Uzumaki, Sasuke
by Koril Dragonic
Summary: Takes place after the battle with Zabuza. SasuNaru, NaruSasu, partial songfic in part one. When on a simple mission to take out a pirate radio station in their village, Sasuke and Naruto start realizing they're more than just rivals now... (Done at last!)
1. Serenade atop a tower

Hey, this is my first Naruto fanfic, and most likely the only one I'll ever finish. Be warned, there's some naughty stuff within. This is a NaruSasu/SasuNaru fic. If you don't know what that is, then, well, I pity you. If you do, then you know what to expect. Either way, I hope you enjoy yourself.

KD.

Uzumaki, Sasuke

****

It had been a hard day. A long, hard day. And it wasn't over by a long shot. Their training was done for the day, and the after-supper dishes were washed, but more was yet to come as the sun sank below the rooftops of Konohagakure.     

*Plip. *

                And, it seemed, the day was officially about to get much worse.  

*Plip, plip, plip**.** * 

                "Aaaaarrrrgggg!! I'm gonna kill you, pipe!!" Naruto wiped the water from his forehead and leapt at the offending piece of metal, eyes wild with rage. "Gyaaaaarrgg!!"

                "_Stop_ that, dunce!" Sasuke growled through clenched teeth. "You're going to break it again."

                Naruto squinted down at him, pausing in his attempt to rip the piping from the ceiling where it was none-too securely bolted. "It keeps dripping on me!" he whined. As if on cue, a large blob of water smacked him in the eye. "Rrrrr…. Arrrrrrgg!! DIE!!"

                    Sasuke sighed, rubbing his temples tiredly. How had they gotten themselves stuck in this dingy little apartment together? The four of them, no less… And in the crowded, noisy, smelly part of downtown, too…

                    "This is all master Kakashi's fault. I can't believe I have to stay in the same room as Naruto! He snores so loud, I can't get my beauty sleep!" Sakura pouted from her spot on her bed, across from Sasuke's own. She glared at the blond shinobi hanging from the stubborn metal. "Naruto, you're going to get us in more trouble! Leave the pipe alone already!"

                    "It _keeps dripping on me_!! YOU try sleeping like that!"

                    "I can't sleep with you _snoring_ anyway!"

                    "I don't snore! That's Kakashi-sensei in his room!"

                    "Even he isn't _that_ loud, thunder lungs!"

                    "What did you say?!"

                    Sasuke ground his teeth together and buried his face in his bed, pulling the pillow up over his head to block out their shouting. He was going to snap if he had to stay here much longer. He was certain of it. 

                    But he had to admit, they probably _did _deserve this…

*** Three days earlier ***

                    _"Team seven, report."_

Sasuke's earpiece crackled slightly, and he sighed to himself. "Target sighted, but it's causing interference. Surveillance was right, though. The tower still seems to be active."

                    "Yeah, and I can see my house from up here! And my favorite noodle stand!"

                    "Naruto, stay focused… _sigh._ Continue upward team seven. Kakashi out."

                    Sasuke glanced over to his right and glared at Naruto, who just grinned back.

                    "Lets hurry up, Sasuke! I'm starving, and Iruka-sensei is taking me out for ramen after this mission is over! He's buying!" just the though of it made Naruto's eyes light up.

                    "Do you _have_ to think with your stomach, or does it just come naturally?" Sasuke shook his head in exasperation, resuming his long climb up the abandoned radio tower.

                    Naruto blinked in confusion, then laughed. "Yeah, I guess I _do _have a one-track mind! But I can't help it! I'm a growing boy!"

                    "You haven't grown any since you were ten. Now get moving!" Sasuke looked back down at Naruto, who hadn't moved an inch. "Or we _will_ miss lunch."

                    "Nooooo! No way! Nuh-uh!! I'm not missing out on a free lunch!!" With that, Naruto stood so he was "standing" on the side of the tower and ran straight up the metal skeleton of the old building, kicking up red dirt and rust.

                    "Hmph." Sasuke snorted and followed suit, not one to be out-done by the hyper blond in something so simple.

                    Since learning how, Sasuke and Naruto had often engaged in these vertical races in their free time. Pushing one another to reach a higher level each time, it was not so much for fun as it was another form of rivalry.  In fact, it nearly qualified as training they pushed so hard, and they spent so much of their time together, the other young ninja-in-training were beginning to wonder if perhaps something else was going on between the two. Most of those ninja were Sasuke's fan-girl club and the boys who despised the two for all the attention they were getting from said girls. 

                    Even Sakura was starting to wonder (as she openly longed for Sasuke and secretly crushed after Naruto) if there was perhaps a reason Naruto was so good at his "Ninja centerfold", and Sasuke never showed any interest in any of the ninja schoolgirls.

                    Sasuke squinted up at Naruto through a thin haze of red. He was a dozen or so feet above him, and still climbing. Sasuke himself was beginning to feel a tight pulling ach in the back of his legs, an annoying reminder of his near-fatal encounter with Haku's acupuncture needles. They had done damage to his calf muscles that would never heal fully. 

                    The sound of Naruto hopping from one girder to another brought the Uchiha back to himself. ~Damn… He's getting better than me… I'm going to have to train harder, or I'll never-~

                    _"Te-m sev-n! –port! Sas-ke! –ruto! C-n you ---- me??"_

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke stopped his ascent and tapped his ear-piece, getting loud, grating feedback for his efforts. "Damn… Naruto!"

                    "Huh?" Naruto stopped as well and looked back down at Sasuke. "What's up?"

                    He sighed. "There's too much interference here… I heard Kakashi-sensei try to contact us, but now all I have is static. Is your com any better?"

                    Naruto shrugged and tried his own communicator, wincing when it screeched back at him. "Ow! Uh, now what..?"

                    "We keep going. We have to complete the mission, with or without assistance."

                    "Right! Okay! Chaaaaarrge!!" Naruto jabbed his finger in the air determinedly, charging up the side of the radio tower.

                    Sasuke sighed, and followed quickly.

                    Moments later they were at the top, trying to figure out how to take out the pirate signal relay that was causing all of the radio-signals across the village to become garbled and fuzzy at random.

                    "Lets just trash it! That'll stop it!"

                    "How are we supposed to do _that_, dobe? The signal is originating somewhere else in the village, and we need to use the relay to find out where."

                    Naruto stomped impatiently, glaring at nothing in particular. "So what are we supposed to do?? That sound is really starting to annoy me!"

                    _~Huh?~ _Sasuke looked over at Naruto, confused. "What sound?" he watched the blond pace back and forth, kicking at loose sheets of rusted iron. He looked to be genuinely irritated, and he kept smacking his ears in an attempt to stop whatever noise it was that was bothering him.

                    "Huh? Oh, ah, heh, never mind! Come on, what do we do now if we can't bust it?" He stopped pacing, looking back over at the taller boy. 

                    The black haired teen shook his head, taking out a kunai and his emergency message kit. He wrote a quick message note and wrapped it around the grip of the blade, tying it on with a short length of red ribbon. Looking around briefly, he hurled it at the patch of trees where he knew Kakashi would be. "We wait."

                    Naruto huffed irritably and plunked down on the very edge of the maintenance platform, his feet dangling in the open air. He gave Sasuke a look that clearly said "_show off_" 

                    Sasuke sat down next to him, ignoring the look. He pulled his one knee up to his chest and wrapped his arms around it, resting his chin there. He looked out over the expanse of Konohagakure, thinking of how much smaller the town looked from so high up. It was easy to forget that there were many larger cities than this, when one was wandering amongst the myriad of twisting streets and tiled roofs. Around the edges of the village rose huge trees, named Fire limbs by the Hokage who founded the village. They were found only here, and some said they got to such enormous size because of all the chakra young ninja poured into them during their early training.  

                    He was startled out of his thoughts by the sudden metallic crackle of radio static.

                    Naruto was fiddling with a small radio he'd pulled out from under his coat. After a moment of fiddling with the dials, static gave way to music in a language Sasuke didn't recognize.

                    "Sugoi! I love English music!" The blond grinned, turning the volume up. "This must be what the pirate station is playing. Too bad we have to shut it down, I really like this kind of music…"

                    Sasuke blinked at Naruto, stunned. "You? Like music? In other languages? Why??"

                    Naruto smiled, an odd, sad look in his eyes. "I'm not just the dunce everyone thinks I am. I do more than just pull pranks and get in everyone's way…" he shook his head and the look was gone. "Iruka sensei taught me some English a few years back. He thought it would help me learn discipline, but it just gave me more way's to make everyone else look stupid!"

                    Sasuke sighed and shook his head at Naruto's superior laughter. "Only you would think of something like that, dobe…"

                    The orange-clad fox boy just grinned and turned his attention to the illegal music issuing from the red plastic radio. 

                    After a short while, Sasuke got curious, and looked over at Naruto. "So… What's this song about?" he wouldn't openly admit that sitting up here, the sun setting through the trees, listening to romantic-sounding music with his rival was beginning to make him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

                    Naruto blinked, startled out of his half-lidded contented daze. "Huh? Oh, ah, she's singing about how some woman betrayed her, and that her aloft superior act isn't fooling anyone anymore." He looked over at Sasuke briefly, before looking back out over the quieting city. "It's really kind of a sad song. The woman was in love with her, but now she's just hurt… Though I might be getting some parts wrong!" he laughed then, the fiery orange light of the sun making him look more like the fox-spirit he housed. He started humming along with the song after a while; trying to hide his growing discomfort under the look Sasuke was giving him.

                    "Ah…" Sasuke looked away again, watching the lights of the town begin to flicker on in the growing gloom. They were still bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, however, and he couldn't help but notice how Naruto's hair and skin seemed to glow, his bright blue eyes now like night waters reflecting torchlight. It was amazing, how the other boy affected him sometimes…

                    Then the next song began and instead of humming, Naruto began singing along softly in Japanese, his youthful boyish voice contrasting with the sultry English lyrics. His words echoing in the silence that had blanketed them, Sasuke couldn't help but be drawn in by Naruto's voice.

                    _"I tried to kill the pain, but only brought more… So much more…_

_                    I lay dying; I'm pouring crimson regret… and betrayal._

_                    I'm dying! Praying! Bleeding! And screeaaaming!_

_                    Am I too lost, to be saved? Am I too lost?!_

_                    My god! My tourniquet! Return to me salvation!_

_                    My god! My tourniquet! Return to me salvation…_

_                    Do you remember me, lost for so long?_

_                    Will you be on the other side?__ Or will you forget me?!_

_                    I'm dying! Praying! Bleeding! And screeaaaming!_

_                    Am I too lost, to be saved? Am I too lost?!"_

Sasuke stared at Naruto in disbelief; jaw slightly agape. It reminded him of his family, of himself… The way the boy next to him sang, it was almost like he was singing from his heart, expressing emotions he'd never revealed any other time…

                    Naruto kept singing, oblivious.

                    "_My god! My tourniquet! Return to me salvation!_

_                    My god! My tourniquet! Return to me salvation…_

_                    **I WANT TO DIE!!"**_

****Naruto shouted the last four words, pain in his voice. His eyes were clenched shut tightly, and tears glistened at the corners of his eyes. It was as though he was shouting at the entire world, begging for an end to his suffering. It made Sasuke's stomach twist into knots and flutter painfully. He had to keep himself in check, to quash the urge to take the blond in his arms and comfort him. It made his chest ach, and he didn't know why…

                    _"My god! My tourniquet! Return to me salvation!___

                    _My god! My tourniquet! Return to me salvation…_

_                    My wounds cry for the grave! My soul cries, for deliverance!_

_                    Will I be denied??_

_                    Christ!!_

_                    Tourniquet!!_

_                    My suicide!! My suicide…"_

As the song died away, Naruto coughed and cleared his throat, a bit sore from his exuberant singing. He turned and looked at Sasuke, grinning ear to ear. "Pretty impressive, ne Sasuke?" His voice was a bit hoarse and his cheeks were flushed red, his heart beating fast under his jacket. He took one look at the silent boy next to him, however, and the smile vanished. 

                    Sasuke was staring at him with dark, slightly glazed eyes. He had the look of someone trying to remember a dream, or a long-forgotten place from years gone by. Though he was sitting a foot or two away from Naruto, he was leaning so close their faces were mere inches apart. He looked the way Sakura had looked when he'd masqueraded as Sasuke and they were going to kiss… 

                    "S-Sasuke..? What… What are you doing..?" His voice was quiet, and he backed away some. Sasuke was acting strange and that could very well be a bad thing, so he didn't want to startle the seemingly entranced boy. He could end up losing a body-part or two that way.

                    Sasuke shook his head and blinked rapidly, looking momentarily panicked. He got up quickly and walked over to the pirate station, where he stopped, his back to Naruto. His cheeks were bright red, and he knew he looked like an idiot now. He hadn't realized he'd been staring at the shorter blond boy throughout the entire song, but he couldn't have helped it anyway. The song had really gotten to him, and he rubbed his chest, his heart still hurting. 

                    Naruto tilted his head and squinted at Sasuke, wondering what the hell was going on. But the raven-haired boy wouldn't look at him, and he got no answers from his tensed back. "…. Oi, Sasuke! You okay?" He refused to let that stop him, however.

                    Sasuke nearly jumped, but managed to control himself. Instead, he turned and fixed an icy glare on Naruto. "What, Dunce?" His tone was flat and hard, like solid granite.

                    The younger shinobi flinched at the harshness, totally unlike how the older boy had been moments before. "Er... Ah… Guess I shouldn't sing outside my bathroom, eh?" He laughed uncertainly, hoping to lighten the mood some. The Uchiha just snorted and turned back towards the illegal broadcasting array. 

                    Without a backward glance, Sasuke let loose a loud shout and slammed his foot into the array. It shattered instantly, sending pieces of metal and wire flying in all directions. It made him feel somewhat better, but not nearly enough. Now Naruto was going to laugh at him or something equally immature. Like Hokage the fourth had when Sasuke asked him why boys had to like girls. He'd been ten at the time, but it still hurt to be laughed at…

                    Naruto, meanwhile, was watching Sasuke smash the remnants of the pirate station into tiny pieces. It was highly unusual to see the normally stoic boy get so… emotional. After a few minutes however, he got worried and stood up. He walked silently across the metal grating and stopped behind Sasuke. He would ask him what was wrong or something, anything that would stop his sudden rage. He reached out to tap him on the shoulder, but Sasuke acted first. 

                    He suddenly spun around and jumped back, eyes wide. "Don't you dare touch me, Uzumaki!!" He stumbled on a larger piece of the array however, and landed hard. He winced, feeling a sharp chunk of metal jab him in the thigh and pierce the still sore flesh. He quickly got to his feet though, and ignored the cool blood running down his leg. The panic was rising in him again, threatening to overcome him, and the sight of Naruto coming closer made it worse. He continued to back away.

                    Naruto was beyond confusion now, and the sight of the blood on Sasuke's leg made his heart jump. But he quickly noticed something far more urgent and he rushed forward, grabbing Sasuke by the arms before he backed right off the edge of the platform. "Sasuke! Calm down! What the hell is wrong with you?? You nearly walked right off the edge!" he shouted, pulling him away from where the railing had rusted away years before.

                    Sasuke didn't resist as Naruto pulled him back towards the centre of the tower, making him sit down. After a moment he calmed down some, though he refused to look at the other boy and didn't notice as he bent down. Suddenly he was shoved onto his back, his injured leg thrown over Naruto's shoulder as calloused hands ran up and down his thigh. "A-Ah!! Wh-What the hell do you think you're doing, dunce??" A bright blush covered his face and now he did resist. "Let go!! Hey, stop that!! You perverted baka, go feel up someone else!!"

                    Naruto ignored him, continuing what he was doing. Soon he found the injury (evident by Sasuke's sudden pained yelp as he brushed against the shard of metal jutting out of his inner thigh) and he pulled Sasuke closer. Before the other could resist further he had his lips pressed to the wound, sucking hard.

                    "Ahh!! Naruto!!" Sasuke stared at him in horror, frozen in place. He knew what the blond was doing now, but he didn't care. He wanted him to stop. Now. Nobody got that close to him without his permission, and no way would he ever give Naruto permission to do _this! _Sudden he felt teeth dig into his thigh, and the world spun.

                    Naruto looked up from between Sasuke's thighs (where he was sucking the wound clean of dirt and rust), surprised by a strange noise that sounded oddly like a moan. He blinked. Sasuke had his head thrown back, arching up from the hard metal, his spine bent back painfully. His mouth was hanging open in a silent "O", his eyes wide and shimmering with unshed tears. He was either in extreme pain, or…

                    "A-aahhh!" Sasuke let out a shuddery wail as Naruto again bit him. He could understand it as being accidental the first time, but the second had been harder, more deliberate. Naruto had bitten him on _purpose! _Struggling against the haze in his head, he forced himself to sit up. He grabbed Naruto by the shoulders and yanked him up to eye level. "What the _Hell _do you think you're _doing??_ Why the hell did you bite me?!" He knew he was blushing, and his breath came in short gasps, but he did his best to summon up a decent glare. 

                    Naruto glared back. "You had a huge chunk of rusty metal stuck in your leg! You'll get tetanus if you don't clean the wound! You can't just suck it all out, you have to squeeze it out!" He was lying of course, and Sasuke had to know that, but he'd learned what he'd wanted to.

                    Sasuke glared at him and shoved the blond away. "I can clean my own damn wounds, dunce." He was quickly regaining his composure, and he went about wrapping the gash with gauze. He made sure to turn away from the younger boy as he did so. It was one thing to be affected by what Naruto had done, but it was an entirely different to let him see_ how_ it had affected him. No way was he letting Naruto know biting him had turned him on.

                    It was some time until Kakashi contacted them again. Neither spoke as he berated them for destroying their only clue, or during the long walk to their impending incarceration. Sakura was already there when they arrived.

*** Three days later ***

                    Naruto had finally given up on "killing" the pipe above his bed, and had settled on doing push-ups to blow off stream.

                    Sakura was also silent now, sitting on the blonds back as he trained, pouting over what she considered "unfair punishment". Kakashi however, thought it fitting that she be locked up with her teammates for a full week as punish for skipping their mission in favour of shopping. Even if Sakura _had_ bought him a very nice bookmark for his hentai collection…

                    Sasuke was the only one of the three who wasn't so relaxed. He was becoming more and more restless, his mind reeling with thoughts and theories revolving around Naruto's recent actions.  Though he had only known him for a few months now, he knew the short shinobi wasn't the sort to play those sorts of pranks. He'd had plenty of guys flirt with him before, of course, some had been serious, and some had been joking, so he could tell the difference. But Naruto… he'd looked so… so _smug _when Sasuke had responded to his actions! 

                    He rolled onto his back, glaring at the water-stained ceiling. Plenty of people accused Sasuke of being gay, and he didn't do anything to dispel those rumours. He wasn't interested in girls, that much was certain, but he didn't find guys any more appealing. He just wasn't interested in a relationship right now. First he had to become as strong as possible, then he had to avenge his clan, and then, after all of that, he had to find a suitable woman to restart his clan with. So it didn't really matter what he wanted, in the end. He had duties to fulfill. 

                    Soon he found his mind wandering, revolving around what his possible sexual preference could be. Those thoughts quickly brought him back to the subject of Naruto, however. He remembered when he'd first seen the diminutive ninja. He'd escaped from a mob of girls by hiding up on the school roof, and Naruto had been standing on the very edge, watching the sakura blooms dance on the wind. He'd looked so lost and alone then, like even the slightest thing would send him to tears. He'd held in one hand a can of orange paint, and a brush in the other. Looking around, Sasuke found the large orange spiral pattern he'd painted on one of the walls. He'd been tempted to talk to the boy at the time, but his own experience with strangers had left him wary, and in the end he simply ran off to tell the Hokage about the graffiti.       

                    Sasuke grit his teeth, and curled up in a ball on his side. His mind kept wandering aimlessly, and it wasn't doing him any good! He thought for a while, and remembered the first day of shinobi training. It made his insides writhe like a pit of restless snakes, thinking about how Naruto had unwillingly kissed him that day. He had to admit, it had been his first kiss, and willing or not, it was important to him. He remembered that all he could taste was ramen, and that his lips had felt soft but chapped. Now, just the smell of ramen made his stomach do flips.  Even now, his heart was fluttering and he could feel himself blushing. He wondered briefly, what it would feel like if Naruto had kissed him willingly, but quickly blocked the thought out of his mind. Just _thinking _about it was turning him on! He was _not_ gay! No way was he going to end up some pansy-assed queer! Hell, the only feminine thing he ever did was wear black nail polish and black eyeliner! And that didn't count as being gay! 

                    He suddenly remembered seeing Naruto at a club once, after their encounter with Zabuza, and the blond had been dressed up like a punk rocker. He'd been in baggy and ripped jeans, with a large black and red anarchy shirt that went down nearly to his knees. He'd had shoes two sizes too big, and he'd been wearing enough punk jewellery to choke a horse. Watching him dance had been a real sight. Him, with his spiky yellow hair and no sense of rhythm, dancing all alone in the crowded club. Eventually Sasuke had waked over and dragged him off the dance floor and over to a table. He himself had been decked out in all his Goth-metal glory, and it had taken Naruto a few minutes to finally realize who he was. They'd talked well into the night, drinking cheap sake and laughing at the other people there. They'd danced a few times once they'd gotten drunk enough, and Naruto had even managed to get him to do a slow dance at one point. Though because they didn't know anyone else there, they'd ended up dancing together for that one… The sun was just beginning to rise as they headed home and parted ways for the day. After that night, they'd become more like competitive friends, than rivals, and neither minded much. 

                    Now that he thought about it, Naruto had done things like this on quite a few occasions… They went out for ramen, they danced, trained, studied, even went to the hot springs together a few times. In fact, there were few things Naruto did without him being there, and even fewer things that Sasuke did without _him_. God, had Naruto been turning him _gay_ all this time?? Was he just being friendly, or was the blond trying to seduce him??

                    "Yamate!" Sasuke slammed his head against his pillow angrily, trying to stop that train of thought. No way! Not possible! Naruto, of all people, was _not_ gay!

                    A loud thud made his head shoot up, eyes wide. Naruto and Sakura were in a pile on the floor, looking at him like he'd just grown pointed fox ears.

                    "Anou, Sasuke kun… Stop what?" Sakura blinked at him, cutely confused. 

                    Sasuke just grit his teeth and jumped from his bed. Without any explanation he leapt out the nearest window and raced across the rooftops, an unreadable expression on his face.

                    He needed to get out of that place, away from that annoying boy. _Now._

**_+_****End part one+**

                    Sigh. I guess this is one of the longest things I've written thus far… Part one took up 6 pages on it's own, and I already have parts two and three written on paper, so it won't take me too long to get them up here… 

                    So, how is it so far? Does anyone like it? Or am I doing this for my own enjoyment? Not like I care anymore, but it's nice to know. 

                    Anyway, if nobody reviews, I'll probably just make this story two parts long rather than three or more. So if anyone likes this, review and I'll make it longer. Of course, if I get nothing but flames, I won't update for a very long time, if ever. 

                    Part two will hopefully be done in a week, maybe two depending on if I can get to the library to update. Later.

_"Love and peace, Hate and war! This is what my pills are for!"_

_Koril Dragonic_


	2. Midnight waltz

Wow, people actually liked the first part! That's really surprising. Heh, so as has been asked, here's the second part. Btw, thanks to ** for pointing out that Hokage the fourth is dead, and that it would be the third that Sasuke would have talked with. Thanks! I appreciate it a lot! Btw, there's a fair amount of angst at the end of this, with queer bashing and whatnot. So don't hurt me! I warned you! Now, on with tha show!

KD.

Uzumaki, Sasuke (Part 2!) 

"Stupid… Dunce… K'so!!" Sasuke slammed his fist into the unforgiving bark of the tree in front of him, leaves drifting down from the force. "Damn him!!" he kicked his unwitting victim one last time and was rewarded with a loud _crack_ as the battered wood finally gave way to his enraged onslaught. 

"So you're the one causing all the commotion out here. I thought we'd been attacked by a demon with a loathing of trees."

Sasuke sighed, leaning heavily against his wooden adversary. "Kakashi-sensei…" he didn't bother looking up at the lanky Jounin, instead opting for glaring at the tree across from him.

Kakashi dropped from his perch above Sasuke and looked at the boy sternly. "I thought I told you not to leave the flat. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

The brunet flinched, but crossed his arms nonchalantly. "I can't go back to that hell hole, Master Kakashi. I can't stand being in the same room as those two anymore… They're driving me insane and I can't concentrate at all! I need-! I need…" he clenched his eyes shut, frustrated. 

"You need…? Peace? Quiet?" The Jounin held his clothed chin, standing in what looked to be a thoughtful pose. "Hot, passionate sex?" 

Sasuke paled, boggling at his sensei. "No! Fool, I'm not perverted like you!" his shocked look quickly becoming a chilled glare. "Not everything has to do with sex, you know."

"Then what _do_ you need, Uchiha-san?" Kakashi smiled at the boy, nonplused.

"I…" Sasuke started, one hand raised as if he was trying to make an obvious point. "I need… Um… I… I don't know! But I need _something_, and it's driving me crazy!" He gestured wildly in his frenzied state.

His mentor nodded sagely. "I see. It must be frustrating, not even knowing what it is that you want." He crossed his arms and leaned against the tree as well, closing his one visible eye. "Hmm…"

Sasuke just sighed, going limp and his head dropping against his chest. "I don't know what to do, sensei… When I'm around them, it feels like… Like my chest is on fire… And Naruto! He's driving me insane with his constant badgering! Always getting on my nerves! When he's around, I can't sit still or I feel I'll explode…" He growled, thumping the tree with his balled fist. He muttered, "What the hell is wrong with me..?"

Kakashi looked over at his student, blinking in shock. Sasuke was blushing, staring at the ground miserably. The boy clearly never confided in anyone, and doing so now meant he must be truly suffering. The older man had a feeling he knew what Sasuke was going through and knew he would only feel worse as time went on, but…

He wasn't ready for this. Not now, maybe not ever. Yet he couldn't let the boy suffer in complete darkness. He had to tell him _something_…

The dark-haired teen looked up suddenly as he heard the older man push away from the tree next to him. He did so as well, taking an uncertain step towards him. "Sensei..?"

Kakashi turned and fixed a stern look on his student. "I'm disappointed with you, Sasuke. I told you to stay at the apartment until I said otherwise, but you disobeyed me. I do want to help you with your problem, but how can I help you when you can't even follow a simple order?" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but you have to be punished before I can do anything further."

***Later that night***

Sasuke glared at the ceiling. He would have glared at the person poking him in the side, but he couldn't turn his head. So he settled for staring at the peeling paint above him and growling occasionally. 

Naruto grinned, poking harder. Kakashi-sensei had left for bed only moments ago, and he didn't want to miss a moment of this. 

Sasuke was bound to his bed, his hands cuffed to the headboard by a set of silvery manacles, with his feet bound similarly. Even his head had been held in place by a length of chain, which also served to gag him and keep his head in place. Though not particularly tight, the links of metal pressed against Sasukes teeth uncomfortably, and he'd certainly break a few if he moved too much. If Sasuke was sensitive about anything, it was his teeth. He made sure to take _very_ good care of those. Call it a hobby.

The short blond snickered at the sounds his rival was making. The growling, the incoherent muttering… It was all too easy! Feeling bold due to his rival's inability to defend himself, Naruto ran his fingers lightly across Sasuke's exposed ribs, watching his face in rapt fascination.

Somewhere in the process of tying the Uchiha to his bed, Kakashi had ended up ripping the boy's shirt into useless little pieces.  Now he was lying half naked in the drafty room while Sakura ogled him, and Naruto poked and prodded him. This had to be his most embarrassing experience to date. And that was counting his and Naruto's accidental kiss. 

Fortunately, the pink-haired shinobi girl had been sent out only moments before Kakashi had gone off to sleep. She had been assigned a simple mission to baby-sit an elder's grandchild, and that left the two competitive boys alone together for the night.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt rough fingertips brush against his ribs, and nearly bit through his chains. Apparently, Naruto had no idea how sensitive his ribs really were. 

Naruto, taking Sasukes sudden jolt and red face as a sign that the stoic boy was ticklish, doubled his efforts. He crawled his fingers across the boy's chest and sides, smiling evilly. "Well well well! Is the great and icy Sasuke ticklish??" he cackled with delight.

Sasuke, however, was finding it difficult to even focus on what the other boy was saying. This was no laughing matter. He quickly freed one hand and removed the gag. "Naruto! Stop that! Now!!" He grabbed the blond's hands with his free one, and yanked him forward. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" there was an air of desperation in his actions, and he squeezed the captive wrists tightly.

Naruto yelped, and tried to pull away. "What the hell, Sasuke?! What's your problem?! That hurts!" 

Sasuke let go, sending Naruto sprawling across the floor from the force of his pulling. He looked away from the shorter boy, busying himself with freeing his other hand and his feet. "You don't just go up to someone and start doing that to them, dunce!" He paused, visibly trying to get himself under control before continuing. "But it's not like you ever think of the repercussions of what you do…" The final cuff clicked open, and Sasuke swung his legs around to the edge of his bed. He grabbed a tight black t-shirt out of his pack and pulled it on quickly, as Naruto leapt up indignantly and glared down at him.

"Nani?! Why, you..! Well… you… you didn't have to go mental on me! I thought you were going to break my wrists!" He crossed his arms and tilted his head to one side with a frown. "Why'd you panic like that, anyway? You aren't still sore from our mission on the bridge… are you?" 

Sasuke looked up at Naruto, noting the uneasy tone in his voice. The blond looked away quickly, uncomfortably. He sighed. "No. Just… Don't do that again." He stood up and walked past the other boy, heading for the small kitchen they were all sharing. He pulled a bottle of orange juice out of the mini-fridge and popped the top, taking a long swig of the bitter liquid. 

Naruto walked over to him cautiously. Hopping up on the counter where Sasuke was now leaning casually, he peered over his shoulder at the bottle. He made a face. "Ugh! Is that the sour stuff Kakashi-sensei bought? How can you drink that? It's so gross!" 

Sasuke glanced up at him, stifling an amused snort at the way the hyper blond pretended to choke. "It's not so bad, Naruto. It has vitamin C, which helps you grow. Not that there's any hope for _you_." He took another, smaller sip.

"Ha ha." He rolled his eyes with tired sarcasm. "Lets all make fun of the short kid." Naruto sighed, shifting so he was sitting more comfortably on the rigid tile counter. "If being tall means being an ass like you, then I'll stick with being short, thanks." 

The older boy looked back over at his teammate, arching a dark eyebrow at him. It was rare to see Naruto act so… Un-Naruto-ish.  Normally he'd attack anyone who so much as mentioned his height, but tonight he didn't seem to want to bother. It sent a cold chill down the avenger's spine. 

Naruto looked back at the teen, mimicking his expression. "What?"

Sasuke shook his head and finished off his drink. "Nothing." He glanced up at the small wall clock hanging above them and sighed. "12:45…It's already past midnight…"

It took a moment for it to register, but the shorter boy soon realized Sasuke was suggesting they do something more productive with their time. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" He grinned. "Wanna have a late-night snack?"

The dark-haired boy chuckled, crossing his arms and shoving away from the counter in one fluid motion.  He smirked. "Trust your first thoughts to be about food, even at this time of night." He paused, thinking for a moment. "… Hey, Naruto, I was wondering about something earlier…"

Naruto blinked, not moving from his perch on the counter. "Wondering..? What about..?"

Sasuke frowned slightly, eyebrows drawing down in thought. "I was wondering; why is it you're so different at night?"

"Different..? Huh??" The blond tilted his head to one side, squinting in uncertainty as to what it was the other boy was asking. 

"You act differently at night. Like you're another person." Sasuke turned to face the boy and sighed, seeing that he still didn't get it. "You… do different things… Like just a moment ago; you didn't jump me when I called you short. And up on the radio-tower, you acted like you were actually concerned for my well-being. Why?"

Naruto stuck out his lower lip in a slight pout, thinking. "I did, huh? I dunno… You're my teammate. I have to care about my team, right?" He shrugged. "An' it's not like there's any point in arguing over my height when there's no-one here who actually cares. Why bother?" He hopped down then, walking up to Sasuke and tilting his head back to look up at him. "Sides, I'm still young, I have plenty of time to get taller than _you_ at least." With that he grinned and poked his teammate. "Ne, Sasuke-kun?" 

Sasuke flinched back slightly, his cheeks rapidly colouring. "Hey!" He glared. "Don't do that." 

The shorter shinobi smiled impishly, repeating the action. "Why? _Are_ you ticklish?"

The Uchiha continued to glare at him in warning, biting down on his lower lip to stifle any inadvertent sounds. He remained silent as the blond continued his assault, taking a step back at each poke or prod, until he was firmly pressed up against the sink with nowhere to go. 

Naruto grinned evilly, gripping the sink on either side of his prey. He had to stretch somewhat to be at anywhere near eye-level with the Uchiha boy, but the difference was less than usual without their sandals on. He looked up Sasuke's nose at him. "So, is this what you meant by me acting _different_?"

Sasuke swallowed rapidly, arching back over the sink in an attempt to put more distance between them. Though he tried to stifle his rising panic, he nodded with evident un-ease. Naruto smirked.

"I take it… you don't like being this close? Ne?" His smile inched wider at the affirmative nod. "Why is that, _Sasuke-kun_? Does it _bother_ you?" he fairly purred.

The taller boy was at a loss for words in his alarmed state. His back was beginning to hurt from the uncomfortable position he was in, but he ignored it as he suddenly felt the other boy press up against him firmly. He could feel the heat of Naruto's body pressed against his, and it made his blush deepen. The reaction was inevitable.

Vaguely, he remembered Iruka-sensei mentioning something about how they would be hitting puberty soon, and how the body's reactions could sometimes run counter to what the mind wanted of it. How gender was _not _something your libido took into account when faced with a situation like this, or how even the slightest physical contact could get a rise out of your body, _never mind_ the fact that you were both boys!

Naruto blushed some himself, his eyes taking on a slightly glazed sheen._ "Sasuke-kuuun…" _he murmured, stretching up slowly, licking his lips.

Sasuke gulped at Naruto's tone, trying desperately to think of a way to get out of there without resorting to violence. He didn't want to _hurt _Naruto, but he didn't want _this_ either! He did _not_ want to kiss another boy! Regardless of the tightness in his pants, he was _not_ gay, let alone turned on by _Naruto_ of all people! 

A crashing sound made both boys jump as their sensei suddenly bolted from his room and made a mad dash for the bathroom, followed by the sound of _sliiightly_ rancid sashimi meeting the bottom of the toilet bowl.

By the time Sasuke had recovered his wits, Naruto had already dashed to his bed and buried his head under his sheets. Still somewhat stunned and very confused, he headed back to his own bed to await the dawn. 

***3:05am***

A muffled thump drew Sasuke from his half-sleeping state. How long had he been lying there? He could hear a sickly coughing coming from somewhere down in the alleyway below the nearby window, as well as the sound of bare skin and clothing brushing together. There was also the occasional _creek_ as someone crept across the old wooden floor towards him. Without moving, he looked towards the sound. Sure enough, Naruto was crawling towards him on all fours, his cotton-clad knees brushing against his arms and chest now and again. In his hand he clutched a marker. His face was hidden by shadows; the fluttering curtains let only the occasional band of silvery light dance across the room. 

Sasuke didn't bother closing his eyes just yet, as it was obvious the blond hadn't noticed he was now awake. He watched the boy move closer, the irregular moonlight illuminating his toned flesh and shimmering hair as a slight wind ruffled the curtains. In the fleeting light, Naruto gave the impression of a lean fox stalking its prey. Sasuke couldn't help but feel the same trepidation he'd felt before. He shivered, and screwed his eyes shut tightly.

But Naruto stopped suddenly, as though sensing something was out of place. He looked around briefly, before continuing warily. He sat up once he reached his "sleeping" rival's bed, and popped the lid off the permanent marker. 

Sasuke could hear that Naruto was only inches away now, the slightly labored breath tickling his face. He could smell the acrid tang of the black marker, as well as the faint hint of ramen with miso Naruto had eaten at dinner.  And something else… the bitter smell of… salt? For a brief moment Sasuke was preoccupied with the unusual scent, so nearly jumped when Naruto began whispering next to his bed.

"Sasuke-kun… it took me so long to work up my nerve for this night… It was so hard… I should have known, but… Whenever you're around, it makes my heart ach so bad… I just can't…  …Damnit, _why _did you have to look at me the way everyone else does??" The voice was hardly more than a faint whisper, but it was laced with so much hurt, so much desperation and pain… It was like a dagger to the heart.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open. Naruto's face was mere inches from his, tears glistening in his eyes and carving silver rivers down his cherubim cheeks. His right arm was raised slightly; marker poised to graffito tag the older boy's face.

Startled, Naruto jumped back. He dropped the marker and it clattered to the floor before rolling away under Sakura's vacant bed. The shorter teen scuttled backwards across the floor until his back thumped up against the wall. His face was a mask of horror and panic, like a kitten caught in the sights of a hungry wolf. "S-S-Sasuke!! God! How long have you been awake??" 

The boy sat up calmly, not taking his eyes off the terrified person staring up at him, and was silent.

Naruto was clutching his chest, his breath coming in short, desperate gasps. After a moment he realized Sasuke wasn't going to kill him, though rather than relaxing he started feeling more uncomfortable under the cold, unerring gaze. He shifted minutely, looking up at the older teen cautiously.

Unexpectedly, Sasuke sighed and looked away. He pulled his blanket up around his shoulders to ward off the nightly chill that permeated the room, closing his eyes. "You're going to catch cold if you stay down there like that. Go back to bed, Naruto." His voice was devoid of emotion.

The blond just blinked up at him, fresh tears welling up in his eyes. "Th-that's it? J-just; 'go back to bed'? Wh-what about… Didn't you hear _anything_ I said??" He sat up on his knees, staring at the other boy in confusion.

Sasuke turned and glared at him with such heat that the younger boy shied away again. "What do you want me to say? Do you _want_ me to get up and kick your ass? I don't care about how you feel! That's _your_ problem, not mine! Maybe I _should_ beat you up after what you pulled in the kitchen, but I'm not going to waste any of my time, or my energy, on you." His eyes narrowed, his tone turned frosty. "I have better things to do than deal with _you_, you confused, disgusting little faggot."

Naruto's head snapped back as though he'd been struck, and the tears ran freely down his cheeks once again. He could feel his heart thumping painfully in his chest as he stared at nothing, his eyes wide in shock. He suddenly felt dizzy, and he stood up awkwardly. "I-I… I see…" He stumbled away from Sasuke's bed, banging against the foot of Sakura's accidentally. He didn't notice. "I… I'll just… leave, then…" He bumped into the wall, but just pushed along it until he found the door. "I don't… really have any reason to be here, a-anyway… so… I-I'll just…" His voice was strained, and he had to force out each shuddery word. Somehow, through his bleary vision he found the doorknob, but couldn't work the lock with his trembling fingers. He eventually gave up with a desperate whine and sank to the floor, his forehead pressed against the rough wood of the doorframe.

Sasuke clenched his jaw painfully, his eyes tightly shut. He refused to feel bad about this. He refused to hear the agony he'd caused his teammate. He _absolutely_ refused to acknowledge the fact that he'd hurt the only person who'd _ever_ come close to being his friend. When he forced himself to open his eyes, his heart stopped. 

Naruto was crouching before the door, holding his sides in pain as he cried silently. He was shaking with each pained breath, and he coughed as his throat grew raw. Knees pulled up tight against his chest, his face now pressed hard against them. He was an image of pure agony and betrayal, though he tried hard to not break down to sobbing.

Sasuke unthinkingly slid from his bed and walked over to the hunched over form, unable to stop himself. He paused uncertainly, before touching the boy's shoulder gently as he slid down next to him.

The blond jumped at the searing touch, plastering himself flat up against the wall, eyes wide. "G-get away from me, Sasuke… D-don't touch me!" He stared at the dark-haired boy kneeling in front of him, expecting anything but what happened.

Sasuke lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Naruto's chest, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Hot tears splashed down his cheeks and ran down the younger boy's bare shoulder, dripping silently to the floor. "Naruto…"

The shorter boy stared, dumbfounded. Eventually he looked down at the mop of matted black hair that was clinging to his wet skin. He blinked. Sasuke was shuddering with silent sobs, and he tightened his grip on the blond. Naruto soon realized Sasuke was whispering apologies through his tears, though his damp shoulder muffled the words.

Sasuke jumped slightly as he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around his shoulders, but relaxed in the comforting embrace. He looked up into Naruto's eyes, seeing forgiveness there. He closed his eyes again, silently letting his tears run dry.

Sasuke and Naruto sat that way until well after dawn, huddled against the wall together, wrapped in the warmth of the elder boy's blanket. Though Kakashi found them that way when he awoke that morning, he moved the two to their own beds before Sakura returned. If the boys wanted people to know about this, then the people would find out from the boys themselves, not a hysterical young girl.

He had to smile. They made a cute pair, even though he doubted Sasuke was ready to give up on his destiny just yet… Two boys did not a clan remake… Even if they were two of the most determined boy's he'd ever known. Watching the boys sleep, he hoped they could find a way to realize how they really felt about each other…

**+End Part two+**

Heh, part two is now _done_! Not as long as part one, but still long by my current standards. I'm quite proud of this part!

So, what do _all you _think? Too fast? Confusing? Did it suck ass?? Tell me! I need to know these things if I'm gonna get better at this! 

Btw, should I make this longer? Part three is written out on paper, as well as the beginnings of a fourth part. If this is good enough, I'll leave it at this and just keep writing for my own pleasure. But if enough people want more, I'll take the time to type up the rest. 

*laughs* I'm actually surprised I got this part done so quickly. I don't have a net connection in my apartment, so I have to upload everything at the local library, which is a 40min walk away. Things like that tend to discourage me from doing stuff. I'm damn lazy, too. It's because of all the wonderful reviews I've gotten thus far, that I hurried my ass up. Thanks again!

Anyway, tell me what you think, if I should continue, and all that jazz. Later!

_"Love and peace, Hate and war! This is what my pills are for!"_

_Koril Dragonic_


	3. Future requiem

Thusly, we reach part three. Many thanks to all the people who've commented on this story of mine. It means a lot to me. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to write this part of story or not, but now that it's typed I'd say I'm rather happy with it. Hmm… Yup. 

So, without further delay, the last (yes, last) part of the story. Be warned, however. This may seem ooc, as it takes place several years later. Really, it's just my mind taking a walk on the artistic side… Well, enjoy!

KD.

*****Uzumaki, Sasuke (part 3)*****

Sasuke brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes and adjusted his gloves. Below him flickered the faint lights of the residential sector of Konohagakure. Looking up, billions of stars twinkled like jewels on a blanket of black/purple darkness. He sighed. It was getting late, and he doubted he could wait much longer in this frigid cold. He'd been sitting on that roof for nearly twenty minutes, and all evidence to the contrary, Sasuke was _not_ a patient person.

A sudden flash of red caught his attention, and the avenger dropped gracefully from his perch. Landing with hardly a sound, the person nearly ran into him.  The two looked at each other, before the shorter of the two finally spoke.

"Shit, Sasuke, I nearly ran into you!" Naruto crossed his arms over his Anarchy shirt; somehow avoiding getting his many bracelets tangled with his equally numerous necklaces. "Next time, land _behind _me." 

Sasuke smirked slightly, and waved a black painted finger back and forth in front of the fox-boy's face. "Next time, you won't make me wait half an hour. Then we can talk about _my_ bad habits."

Naruto hung his head. There was no arguing with the guy sometimes. "Ma, ma… Fine. I'm sorry I'm late. Sakura needed me to help her carry her groceries home." He sighed in resignation. "That girl is too much of a handful sometimes… I don't know _what_ I saw in her."

"You were being a foolish kid." The Uchiha patted his companion on the head. "As opposed to a foolish teenager."

"Huh? Foolish? Wha..? Hey!! I am _not _foolish! Saaasukeee! I'm not foolish!" He pouted for a moment, then grinned and poked Sasuke's side playfully. "I'm just immature!" The blond laughed as his friend flinched at the poke. 

The gothic teenager just smacked Naruto across the back of his head, before starting down the street towards their usual hang. 

Naruto rubbed his head, jogging to catch up to the faster boy. "Ow… _Iyaa_, why did you do that?" he pouted cutely up at his taller partner.

Sasuke shook his head, earrings jangling quietly, but smiled anyway. "I thought I told you; no poking me. Unless you _want _me to kick your ass again…" he looked back towards their destination, chuckling at Naruto's muttering about how that was unlikely, and that he could think of better uses for his ass.

The past few years had been good for the young avenger. Though his acceptance as a full-fledged shinobi hunter was still pending, he made a living as one anyway and most of his hatred had dispelled because of it. No longer bothering to wear his hitai-ate, he kept his mask in easy reach in case he was called out on a hit unexpectedly. Naruto had said the creepy mask made him look like some sort of fox spirit, and he wasn't compelled to disagree.  Augmented with his now permanently gothic wardrobe, he was known commonly as the "Black Kyube".

The younger, shorter shinobi was still going through the process of becoming the most powerful ninja in the village, even after attaining the rank of Jounin. At the age of 18, Naruto was easily giving the Hokage a run for the money. His fashion had improved over the years as well, and he wore primarily dark reds and blacks, along with dozens of chains bearing wards and good luck charms. At the request of the village elders, he was taking extra measures to keep his inner fox-demon at bay these days. His rare, yet highly violent fits of madness had earned him the title "Mad Kyube".

Though neither were part of an official team anymore, they went on missions together as a rule, and had become widely known as the "Twin Foxes". People from far and wide hired them for their unique, powerful skills, and they had enough money between them to buy the nicest flat in the village. Their missions often ranged from kidnappings, to assassinations, to covert undercover surveillance. Everybody with a fat wallet wanted to hire them. Fortunately, they only accepted missions that they felt would result in people being better off in the end. They were not, by any means, cold-blooded murderers.

Sasuke looked up at the glowing neon sign and fat blue lanterns hanging from the archway above them. "Serpent coiled" was their favorite club, and they came here every chance they got. Between missions, hits, training, and babysitting "Kyuu", that was becoming less frequent. 

Kyuu, the cute little cherub that she was, had a habit of coming between the two teens. Tonight however, she was with her mother, Sakura, so they hopefully had the entire night to themselves.

The darker Jounin smiled, thinking of the little girl. At only 2 years old, she was already looking more and more like her father, making her all the more adorable to the normally reticent teen. It was absolutely heart warming to see the toddler racing towards him, shouting "Unca Sukee! Unca Sukee!". 

Naruto blinked up at his friend, puzzled by the look. "Yo, 'Suke. What's on your mind?"

"Hmm?" Sasuke looked down at the shorter boy, blinking. "Oh, ah, just thinking about Kyuu…"

The blond's eyes lit up at the mention of his daughter, and he smiled. "Ah, yeah… Normally we'd be watching her tonight. I'm glad Sakura gave us some free time together…" Naruto blushed slightly, and hugged Sasuke's arm to his chest. "Though it's gonna cost us more than an arm and a leg, I'm sure…"

Sasuke chuckled, pulling his partner into a close embrace. "Maybe she'll ask for your first born child…"

Naruto laughed, and they walked into the club together.

*****End*****

Well… that's it. It's over. Do you like it? Hate it? Want more? *Laughs* Like I'm actually going to write more. The story is done! Over! Das ende! *Grins*** **Honestly, this last little chapter was just for fun. I felt the last part ended badly, so this is my half-assed attempt to give it a slightly happier ending. 

Anyway, should I start a new Naruto fic? One that continues with the future I've set here? Perhaps I should give the past a whirl, and write stuff about when they were in their pre-ninja training?  Or, should I not write any more Naruto fics, and focus on finishing "Ex-Shinra for hire"? You be the judge!! So, review and all that jazz!

_"Love and peace, Hate and war! This is what my pills are for!"_

_Koril Dragonic___


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